Bring Greece to you

The secret to a great lamb stew is to make sure the lamb is juicy, tender and just melts in your mouth variety. The stew itself can be tasty but if the lamb is tough then you might as well just enjoy the stew without the meat. The best way to get the lamb juicy and tender is to use sous vide cooking. This is the method of cooking where the lamb is placed inside a plastic bag, vacuumed and sealed using a vacuum sealer. Then this sealed package is then given a water bath for hours to get the meat tender and juicy.

Some very important factors come into play here:

First, you should have the right cut and quality of lamb. In Greece, sheep adapts better to the hilly countryside, and is thus abundant. Lamb dishes then are common, and freshly-slaughtered sheep are easy to find. Outside of Greece or in any other country, lamb may be fewer in number, but it can also be bought from the grocer or from your favorite butcher.

Second, you should make a good, airtight vacuum and seal of your bag, which is why you need the best vacuum sealer for sous vide cooking to get the job done right. Otherwise, if there is a crack in the seal, water will definitely get in when the third step is done.

Lastly, you should have the right equipment for sous vide. You can use a sous vide water oven for best results. Temperature has to be kept controlled so that the meat inside will be thoroughly cooked in low temperature but for a long period of time. This slow method of cooking ensures the meat is evenly cooked, yet still juicy and succulent.

I love yoghurt, because of its health benefits. It is loaded with protein, calcium and other vitamins and minerals from dairy foods. Plus, it has ‘good bacteria’ for the digestive tract. I got more interested with Greek yoghurt because it is said to be healthier than most.[Read more…]

Treating yourself to some authentic Greek food in a restaurant is a great way to spend an evening. But you can also have authentic Greek food from your kitchen, and you don’t have to be Greek to do that.

For instance, you can prepare the national food of the Greeks in your own kitchen. We are going to prepare Fasolada or fasoulada or fasolia, which all mean the same thing. It is a soup of dry white beans, olive oil and vegetables. There are different international versions of this soup in Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Although the origins of this soup is in ancient Greece. Fasolada, having no meat, is used as food and sacrifice given to the Greek God Apollo during the Pyanopsia Festival. If you want a meat version, do it the Italian way.

This is a healthy food, and is rich in protein and vitamin B. It is also more filling because of its fiber content. [Read more…]

In the food haven island of Greece, Lentil Soup is called Fakes (pronounced fah-kes). Lentil is a legume that is full of fiber, rich in protein, iron and other vitamins. It is great food for those in diet because it is filling and healthy with zero fat and low calories. It is also easy to cook, unlike its relative, the beans, which need to be soaked overnight. As for lentils, you just wash them and use them right away.

Fakes soupa is a comfort food, and there is nothing like a warm bowl of it during cold nights. Since this contains to meat, this is a great Lent Season food.

There are different colors of lentils – green, brown, red, black or yellow. It can also have the husk or without it. If you use yellow or red without the husk, they may disintegrate while cooking, and your soup would be thick. The green lentils are ‘al dente’ or firm, brown are softer, and red is the softest.

The Lentil Soup may also be served without the tomato paste, making it a ‘white soup’. Some add more vegetables into it like carrots and potatoes. Others add pasta into it. [Read more…]

Avgolemono, which translates to egg-lemon sauce, is usually a Greek cuisine made of egg yolk and lemon juice, mixed together with broth and heated until soup thickens. This dish has also its equivalent in various countries like Turkey, the Arab states and even in Italy.

In any Greek occasion, Avgolemono soup would most probably be served. It is so iconic you can find this in all Greek restaurants.

The most common broth used is chicken, although meat, fish or vegetable broth may also be used. The carbohydrates in the form of rice or pastina or tapioca are cooked in the broth before the mixture of eggs and lemon is added. Some use whole eggs, while others just have the yolks. If you are using whole eggs, the white may be separated ahead. This is then beaten into foam. Then it is mixed with the yolks and lemon juice.

Preparation of the chicken:

Cooking preparation:

Place chicken and vegetables in a large pot with water. The water should be 1 inch more that the other ingredients. Cover the pot;

Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 45 minutes;

While it simmers, scoop out the fat which collects at the top;

When chicken is done, remove from pot, and put on plate to cool. The chicken is done when the meat is easily removed from the bone;

Add the rice into the broth in the pot. Season with salt and pepper;

Simmer the rice on low heat for 20 minutes or until it is tender.

Preparation of the eggs and lemon: (using whole eggs)

Break the eggs into a bowl with lemon juice, and whisk it;

When the rice is cooked, turn off the fire;

ladle the broth into the eggs mixture slowly, mixing as you pour so the eggs do not curdle;

Pour and mix until the eggs mixture is heated, then pour the whole thing into the pot and whisk briskly until the soup is creamy;

Season with salt, pepper or lemon juice;

If you want really thick soup, you can add the mixture of 2 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in warm water into the soup.

Serving suggestions:

You may place cut portions of the chicken into the soup to make it more filling;

You can add lemon zest on top of the soup to add more zing;

This can also be served with bread which can be dipped into the soup.

This is an easy soup to make, and you can save the leftover’s. Vacuum sealing the leftover soup is a good way to ensure it stays fresh and will not have freezer burn once placed inside the freezer. When you are ready to eat, you can reheat in the microwave.

Salads can be eaten by itself, and soup, too. But sometimes, one is not enough. Salad alone, especially if it is mainly vegetables, can still leave you a bit hungry. Soups alone, unless it is a thick soup, may also still leave you hankering for more. The best lunch or dinner would be a combination of a salad and a soup. It would be just about right, and not too filling compared to eating meat.

Let us try this recipe for a Greek salad that calls for some grilled vegetables. Here is what we need:

Zucchini, sliced, 2 pieces large.

Potato, parboiled and sliced, 1 piece large.

Onion, sliced, 1 piece large.

Red bell peppers, seeds removed and cut into quarters, 2 pieces.

Eggplant, sliced in thick rounds of half inch, 2 pieces medium.

Feta cheese, crumbled.

Olive oil to brush over the vegetables while grilling.

Because this is Greek, our vinaigrette, of course, will be olive oil-based. Here are the other ingredients we need:

Balsamic vinegar, 45 grams.

Olive oil, 75 grams.

Garlic, peeled and smashed, 1 clove.

Dried marjoram, a small pinch.

Dried mint, 5 grams.

Dried oregano, 5 grams.

Coarse salt, 2.5 grams.

Freshly-ground black pepper, 1.25 grams.

It should take about a quick 35 minutes to prepare the ingredients and cook it. the above quantity would be comfortable up to 6 servings.

How to prepare the vinaigrette:

in a small bowl, add the ingredients and whisk together.

let it stay for half an hour for the flavors to blend and settle.

before using the vinaigrette later, remove the garlic cloves.

How to cook the vegetables:

put the grill on medium heat.

put the vegetables over the grill, lightly brushing it with olive oil while it cooks.

when the vegetables are tender, remove from flame.

How to make the salad:

cut the grilled vegetables into chunks.

place in a bowl and add the vinaigrette.

sprinkle feta cheese on top for presentation and for some zest.

That salad, being all vegetables, is rather light. Even its vinaigrette is also light. It can be combined with a chicken soup for some hearty meal.

This chicken soup is iconic in Greece. It is a great mix of flavors of the egg, lemon and chicken. It is always present in the menu of any Greek restaurant, and if you are lucky to be in Greece during a local festivity, you will definitely have a taste of this soup.

There is no secret potion that make Greek food so delicious; the country is blessed with rich agriculture. The fruits of their land and seas are so bountiful that you can easily have fresh vegetables, produce and seafood.

Greece has one of the longest coastline in Europe. Understandably, its marine life is teeming with fish, squid and octopus. It is such a common sight to see octopus being hang outside houses in coastal areas.

Octopus in my salad? Why not! If you want to know and try various Greek salads, you cannot pass on having an octopus salad. It may sound exotic if you’re not in Greece, but in Greece, this salad is actually a simple fare.

Don’t be so intimidated by the octopus. Here are a few preparation tips:

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour, preferably overnight.

To serve the Octopus Salad:

Put the salad greens on a platter. Use this as the bed for the octopus mix. Season with salt and pepper.

Octopus is generally a healthy food. It is low in fat. It is rich in iron, which carries oxygen throughout your body and boosts the immune system. It has high content of selenium, which aids digestion and is also an antioxidant. It is full of vitamin B12 essential for red blood cells production, and also for brain functions. On the downside, it is high in cholesterol so how it is cooked matters. Try to avoid rich butter.

It can also be eaten in various ways. You can grill it. For an added spin, you can pair it with skewered vegetables like asparagus and squash. You can also sauté, and then mix it with seafood stock. You can season with onions, bay leaves, leeks, salt and pepper added into the pan. Just before serving, drizzle some lemon juice on it.

It’s Greek salad, but this time it is swimming in a bowl of broth. It’s Greek Salad Soup. If you are just about ready to discount this recipe as being too soup-y, here is some news that just might get you to the kitchen to cook really fast.

According to research, soup is a good slimming food. A bowl of soup is referred to as a bowl of miracle. To lose weight, you should shift to an all-soup diet. You will start seeing the result in just 10 days. If you’re too afraid to see nothing but cabbage swimming in water, you’d be delighted to know that there is no limit to what kind of soup you eat as long as it is soup.

It appears that the combination of solids, like vegetables, and water is healthy and able to provide the nutrients our body needs. So while you lose weight, you will not lose out on the much-needed nutrients. Soup contains a good balance of protein, fats, fiber, carbohydrates and vitamins and minerals.

Soup is also easy to make, convenient to store, easy to reheat, and will not cost much compared to a slice of meat. It can be served either hot or cold.

To add variation to your soup diet, here is a recipe for a bowl of rich Greek Salad soup.

Ingredients for the soup:

Pickling cucumber, ends removed and body cut into chunks, 2 cups.

Garlic, smashed, 1 clove.

Red onion, chopped, 1.5 lbs.

Arugula, 16 tablespoons.

Cherry tomatoes, chopped, .5 lbs.

Fresh oregano, 2 sprigs.

Feta cheese, crumbled, ¼ cup.

Salt, 5 grams.

Water, 1.5 cups.

Lemon juice, 1 lemon.

Plain Greek yoghurt, 1 cup.

We will also need these for the garnish:

Cherry tomatoes, chopped, 4 ounces.

Kalamata olives, chopped, 4 ounces.

Bread, 4 slices.

Garlic, cut into halves, 1 clove.

Olive oil.

Feta cheese crumbs (optional).

To cook the soup:

Place in a blender the water, lemon, onion, cucumber, garlic and tomatoes.

Blend until you see chunky bits only.

Add the salt, cheese, oregano, arugula and yoghurt.

Blend it again but don’t completely puree it. Leave some chunks.

Pour this soup mix into a bowl and chill.

For those who are not on salad diet, and they just want to enjoy this refreshing salad, you can make the meal a bit heavier with some crouton garnish.

To make the garnish:

Heat a skillet on mid-heat.

When heated, add olive oil to fully cover the bottom of the pan.

Rub garlic on both sides of the bread, then place bread in the pan.

Remove bread when it has become golden brown.

Put on top of paper towel for oil to be absorbed.

Mix in a bowl the tomatoes, olives and cheese, dribble some olive oil over it.

When you are ready to sit down for a good meal, remove soup from chiller and pour some into your bowl. Put some tomatoes, olives and cheese with olive oil on a slice of bread. Enjoy!

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